Small Item Stripper Bridge

ABSTRACT

A safety device with efficiency and utility value, for manipulating small pieces of metal plate to be punched or otherwise worked by an industrial power press equipped with fixtures for punching machines or other purposes. The stock is held magnetically to a non-magnetic plate in which magnets are embedded. The design and concept may be used for both repeated random punches as well as repeated punch patterns. The magnets surround a relatively small hole through which the punch is made. The plate bridges the distance between the contact points of the industrial punch&#39;s stripper so that the punch tool may be easily and safely extracted. The plate also extends outward, toward the operator, to provide a safe hand-hold distance from all points of operation and pinch points. Also provided are punch explosion shields for additional protection. The device also adds mass to an otherwise tenuous and fragile work piece for the purposes of accurate placement and positional anchoring.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applications for which benefit is claimed:

1. Provisional application No. 62/921,983 filed by William D. Rogers andRichard D. Rogers on Jul. 16, 2019, entitled Small Item Stripper Bridge.

2. Provisional application number 63/101,559 filed by William D. Rogersand Richard D. Rogers on May 4, 2020, entitled Small Item StripperBridge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of metal working, one of the most common, simplest, anduseful machines is the industrial power press, often equipped with apunch/die fixture. The punch/die fixture consists basically of the punchtool itself, the die that accepts the punch tool, the force that pushesthe punch tool down and the stripper. The stripper's function is to holdthe stock being punched down evenly on both sides as the punch tool isbeing retracted from the stock being punched. If the stock is not helddown evenly, one side of the stock will rise above the other, bind, andpossibly break the punch tool. The stripper on industrial grade machinesis often too wide to put force on both sides of the stock being punched,therefore small pieces of stock must often be discarded. However, infact, often they are not discarded because the operator is tempted touse the small pieces. This gives rise to a dangerous situation when theoperator's fingers are placed near the punch tool or other fixture beingused. The use of the present invention insures that the operator'sfingers are at a safe distance from the punch tool and resulting pinchpoints as the punch is being made and retracted. This is accomplished,through use of the Small Item Stripper Bridge, by extending theeffective size of the material being worked well beyond the size of thedie stripper itself in order to create safe distancing of the fingersfrom the dangers. An additional danger is created by the possibility ofthe shattering of the punch tool. This may send high-speed projectilesof material in all directions. The present invention features a shieldespecially designed to deflect shrapnel away from the operator. Thisshield can be installed on up to three sides of the Small Item StripperBridge plate.

In addition to the possibility of shattering the punch tool, there isthe possibility of damaging or deforming the work piece. If the workpiece is thin or brittle, even if the stripper catches both sides, theforce of the retracting tool may break or bend the stock being worked.When the power press attempts to retract the punch in the strippingprocess, the said work piece may be bent, bowed, distorted or broken bythe upward force. In this circumstance, the present invention lendsthickness and stiffness to the work piece, thereby preventing damage tothe work piece.

The onset of distortion as described above causes another safetyproblem, wherein the punch begins to be held ever more tightly by thedistorted work piece and the punch becomes more likely to breakdangerously as described elsewhere herein. This is especially true ofmechanical power presses which act very fast. This problem is alsoeliminated by the present invention.

In addition to the operational dangers, punches are limited in their usebecause smaller, or irregularly shaped pieces of stock cannoteffectively receive multiple punches of a specific pattern. All of theabove shortcomings are eliminated by the present invention. Bymanipulating the stock with the present invention, all irregular piecesof stock are rendered effectively the same size and stabilizing weightis added. This allows repeated patterns to be punched.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Little has been done with regard to solving the inadequacies of thecommon punch machine. Improvements have been proposed in provisionalapplication No. 62/921,983 filed by William D. Rogers and Richard D.Rogers on Jul. 16, 2019, entitled Small Item Stripper Bridge. Furthersolutions have been offered by provisional application number 63/101,559filed by William D. Rogers and Richard D. Rogers on May 4, 2020,entitled Small Item Stripper Bridge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1) is a top elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge withsmall, irregular stock magnetically attached.

FIG. 2) is a side elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge withhandle and shrapnel shield.

FIG. 3) is a front elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge,without handle or shrapnel shield, shown in relation to an industrialpunch's stripper, punch tool, and die.

FIG. 4) is a top elevation view of the Small Item Stripper Bridge with apunch table set up for multiple punches in specific places for makingidentical punch configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the figures, it can be seen that the Small Item StripperBridge comprises stripper plate 1. Stripper plate 1 is constructed of arigid, non-magnetic material. Punch operation hole 2 is formed intoplate 1. An array of magnets 3 are embedded into plate 1 around punchoperation hole 2. Stripper plate 1 is sufficient in width to extendbeyond both stripper contact points 4 of industrial punch stripper 5.The sides 6 of stripper plate 1 extend beyond contact points 4 whenpunch tool 7 is aligned with punch operation hole 2 so that a punch maybe made through punch operation hole 2 into small, irregularly shapedstock 8 which is being held in place by magnets 3. As punch tool 7 isretracted from stock 8, resistance to retraction is applied evenly tostripper plate 1 which is being held down by stripper contacts 4. Stock8 is held down evenly by stripper plate 1 and therefore will not bind.Through this process, the minimum size of the stock being punched isonly limited to the relative size of punch operation hole 2. Becausepunch operation hole 2 encircles punch tool 7 during operation, punchesmay be made near the edges of the stock being punched even though stockis not completely covered by stripper plate 1.

Shrapnel shield 9 is affixed to stripper plate 1 between punch operationhole 2 and the operator station. Shrapnel shield 9 helps deflectshrapnel that may be expelled if punch tool 7 is shattered. The shieldupper portion 10 of shrapnel shield 9 is tilted forward so as to trapand further dispel flying shrapnel away from the operator.

Handle 11 is affixed to shrapnel shield 9. Handle 11 provides a safeplace for the operator to grasp and thereby manipulate the position ofstripper plate 1 and thus stock 8. Small pieces of stock can thereby beused without the danger of the operator's fingers being smashed bystripper plate 1, industrial punch stripper 5, or being injured by punchtool 7 or punch die 12.

Referring to FIG. 4), it can be seen that an industrial punch isequipped with a table surface 13. Jig restraints 14 are affixed to table13 at certain locations. Stripper plate 1, in this usage, is equippedwith jig points 15 that contact the stock at specific points so as to,along with the magnets, hold the stock in a specific place relative tostripper plate 1. By keeping the stock in a specific place and movingstripper plate 1, the jig restraints 14 become a jig so that identicalpunch patterns may be made. This is made possible by the fact that thestock, even if changed, is effectively the same shape, that being theshape of stripper plate 1. Standard Small Item Stripper Bridges have onehole only. Multiple hole, jig-type Small Item Stripper Bridges must becustom made in collaborations between the user and the manufacturer.

I claim:
 1. an apparatus for enhancing the safety of an operator as wellas ease of operation of a power press, specifically a stripper-equippedindustrial punch machine, while punching small pieces of stock, saidstripper having two or more contacts, at least one said contact pointbeing on either side of said industrial punch, said apparatus furthercomprising a means for holding said small pieces of stock in a fixedposition, said means comprising a stripper plate, said stripper platebeing greater in width than said contacts of said stripper of said punchmachine, said stripper plate further comprising a plate of non magneticmaterial, a punch operation hole through which said small pieces ofstock are punched, said stripper plate further comprising an array ofmagnets, said array of magnets being embedded into said non magneticmaterial of said stripper plate and encircling said punch operationhole, said small piece of stock being held in place by said magnets,said stripper plate being sufficient in width to be held down by saidtwo contacts of said industrial punch machine's stripper.
 2. anapparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said stripper plate furthercomprises an elongated shrapnel shield, said stripper plate having afront operator's edge, a back edge and two side edges, said shrapnelshield being affixed to and running along said front operator's edge ofsaid stripper plate.
 3. an apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein asaid shrapnel shield is suitably affixed to each of said side edges. 4.an apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said operator's shieldfurther comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portionbeing tilted forward toward said punch operation hole.
 5. an apparatusas recited in claim 4, wherein said operators shield further comprises ahandle, said handle being suitably affixed to said bottom portion ofsaid operators shield.
 6. an apparatus as recited in claim 5, whereinsaid apparatus further comprises a table, said table having a pluralityof raised jig restraints, said stripper plate having a top and bottom,said bottom having a plurality of jig point stops, said stops, alongwith said magnets, holding said small pieces of stock in a specificposition, said raised jig restraints contacting said edges of saidstripper plate so as to produce a repeatable punch pattern through aplurality of said punch operation holes.